The Psychiatric Disability Rehabilitation and Support Services Sector

Psychiatric rehabiliation and support services are provided in addition to the public mental health system by a range of non-government organisations (NGOs) working in the PDRSS sector. They focus on minimising the impact of mental illness on the daily life of the person, and on addressing the social disadvantages arising from mental illness. The focus of the PDRSS sector is different from that of the public mental health service system. Generally the public system focuses on periods of illness, and has less input into the management of a person in between episodes of care. By contrast, the PDRSS sector may have an ongoing support role, and are likely to be more embedded in the local community and to have extensive partnerships with other support organisations. Services provided by organisations in the PDRSS sector may include supported or assisted  accommodation programs, social rehabilitation programs, vocational rehabilitation, skills training, psychosocial assessment and advocacy. The framework of service delivery is usually based on a recovery model, identifying and utilising the strengths of the person and involving them in their service planning.